Details are to be announced on Tuesday morning. After six industrial disputes in the current round of negotiations, a failed moderation and a dispute in court, there have recently been talks once more.
The head of the German Train Drivers’ Union (GDL), Claus Weselsky, wants to explain the details of the agreement on Tuesday. The railway, for its part, invited a separate statement from Human Resources Director Martin Seiler on Tuesday “on the current status of the collective bargaining agreement with the GDL”.
The crux of the collective bargaining round from the start was the GDL’s demand for a reduction in weekly working hours for shift workers from 38 to 35 hours while keeping wages and salaries the same. At a previous round of talks, the railway was prepared to agree to 36 hours with full wage compensation in two steps until 2028. However, the union rejected this.
The union has repeatedly paralyzed rail traffic in recent months. In addition to hundreds of thousands of commuters and other travelers, industry was also directly affected by the cancellation of freight trains. The railway had criticized the strikes as disproportionate. However, the union was repeatedly proven right in court.
The German Transport Minister Volker Wissing had brought up possible changes to the law following this collective bargaining conflict ended. “Mr Weselsky continues to overreach,” the FDP politician said in the direction of the GDL.
